454 research outputs found
Spin/orbit moment imbalance in the near-zero moment ferromagnetic semiconductor SmN
SmN is ferromagnetic below 27 K, and its net magnetic moment of 0.03 Bohr
magnetons per formula unit is one of the smallest magnetisations found in any
ferromagnetic material. The near-zero moment is a result of the nearly equal
and opposing spin and orbital moments in the 6H5/2 ground state of the Sm3+
ion, which leads finally to a nearly complete cancellation for an ion in the
SmN ferromagnetic state. Here we explore the spin alignment in this compound
with X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at the Sm L2,3 edges. The spectral
shapes are in qualitative agreement with computed spectra based on an LSDA+U
(local spin density approximation with Hubbard-U corrections) band structure,
though there remain differences in detail which we associate with the anomalous
branching ratio in rare-earth L edges. The sign of the spectra determine that
in a magnetic field the Sm 4f spin moment aligns antiparallel to the field; the
very small residual moment in ferromagnetic SmN aligns with the 4f orbital
moment and antiparallel to the spin moment. Further measurements on very thin
(1.5 nm) SmN layers embedded in GdN show the opposite alignment due to a strong
Gd-Sm exchange, suggesting that the SmN moment might be further reduced by
about 0.5 % Gd substitution
Europium nitride: A novel diluted magnetic semiconductor
Europium nitride is semiconducting and contains non-magnetic \3+, but
sub-stoichiometric EuN has Eu in a mix of 2+ and 3+ charge states. We show that
at \2+ ~concentrations near 15-20% EuN is ferromagnetic with a Curie
temperature as high as 120 K. The \3+ ~polarization follows that of the \2+,
confirming that the ferromagnetism is intrinsic to the EuN which is thus a
novel diluted magnetic semiconductor. Transport measurements shed light on the
likely exchange mechanisms.Comment: 5 page
Ferromagnetic redshift of the optical gap in GdN
We report measurements of the optical gap in a GdN film at temperatures from
300 to 6K, covering both the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. The gap is
1.31eV in the paramagnetic phase and red-shifts to 0.9eV in the spin-split
bands below the Curie temperature. The paramagnetic gap is larger than was
suggested by very early experiments, and has permitted us to refine a
(LSDA+U)-computed band structure. The band structure was computed in the full
translation symmetry of the ferromagnetic ground state, assigning the
paramagnetic-state gap as the average of the majority- and minority-spin gaps
in the ferromagnetic state. That procedure has been further tested by a band
structure in a 32-atom supercell with randomly-oriented spins. After fitting
only the paramagnetic gap the refined band structure then reproduces our
measured gaps in both phases by direct transitions at the X point.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Tiling the plane without supersymmetry
We present a way of tiling the plane with a regular hexagonal network of
defects. The network is stable and follows in consequence of the
three-junctions that appear in a model of two real scalar fields that presents
symmetry. The symmetry is effective in both the vacuum and defect
sectors, and no supersymmetry is required to build the network.Comment: Revtex, 4 pages, 1 ps figure; version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Surface states and Rashba-type spin polarization in antiferromagnetic MnBiTe
The layered van der Waals antiferromagnet MnBiTe has been predicted
to combine the band ordering of archetypical topological insulators such as
BiTe with the magnetism of Mn, making this material a viable candidate
for the realization of various magnetic topological states. We have
systematically investigated the surface electronic structure of
MnBiTe(0001) single crystals by use of spin- and angle-resolved
photoelectron spectroscopy experiments. In line with theoretical predictions,
the results reveal a surface state in the bulk band gap and they provide
evidence for the influence of exchange interaction and spin-orbit coupling on
the surface electronic structure.Comment: Revised versio
Vortex dynamics in layered superconductors with correlated defects: influence of interlayer coupling
We report a detailed study of the vortex dynamics and vortex phase diagrams
of two amorphous Ta_0.3Ge_0.7/Ge multilayered films with intrinsic coplanar
defects, but different interlayer coupling. A pinned Bose-glass phase in the
more weakly coupled sample exists only below a cross-over field H* in striking
contrast to the strongly coupled film. Above H* the flux lines are thought to
break up into pancake vortices and the cross-over field is significantly
increased when the field is aligned along the extended defects. The two films
show different vortex creep excitations in the Bose-glass phase.Comment: zip file: 1 RevTex, 5 figures (png
Considerations for legal, ethical, and effective practice in dementia research
Dementia represents a potentially overwhelming health burden, both for the UK and worldwide. Addressing this fast-growing issue is a key priority for the government, health service and the public. Advances in care including the development of efficacious disease-modifying, and eventually curative, treatments can only be achieved through effective dementia research. Specifically, research directly involving participants with dementia is essential to further understanding. However, working with cognitively impaired participants with and without capacity to consent to research presents unique ethical and legal challenges. For clinicians and scientists on the frontline of dementia research, scenarios frequently arise that pose such challenges. A lack of guidance for a consistent approach in navigating these scenarios limits researchers’ ability to proceed with confidence. This represents a threat to the rights and wishes of research participants as well as the field at large, as it may lead to studies being unnecessarily terminated or, worse, poor practice. In this article, we take a multiprofessional approach, informed by carer input, to these issues. We review the relevant ethical and legal literature relating to the conduct of non-interventional research studies in patients with dementia. This includes a thorough recap of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), which provides a legal framework in England and Wales for conducting research with participants who lack capacity to consent. We also discuss the important, but sometimes incomplete, role of research ethics committees in guiding researchers. We then present and discuss a series of case vignettes designed to highlight areas of incomplete coverage by existing governance. These vignettes describe theoretical scenarios informed by our own real-word experiences of encountering ethical issues when conducting dementia research. They include scenarios in which participants demonstrate varying degrees of understanding of the research they are involved in and ability to communicate their wishes and feelings. Building on these vignettes, we then provide a checklist for researchers to work through when presented with similar scenarios. This checklist covers the key ethical, legal and practical considerations that we have argued for. Taken together, this article can act as a guide, previously lacking in the literature, for colleagues in the field to enable much needed ethical, legal and effective research
Bags, junctions, and networks of BPS and non-BPS defects
We investigate several models of coupled scalar fields that present discrete
Z_2, Z_2 x Z_2, Z_3 and other symmetries. These models support topological
domain wall solutions of the BPS and non-BPS type. The BPS solutions are
stable, but the stability of the non-BPS solutions may depend on the parameters
that specify the models. The BPS and non-BPS states give rise to bags, and also
to three-junctions that may allow the presence of networks of topological
defects. In particular, we show that the non-BPS defects of a specific model
that engenders the Z_3 symmetry give rise to a stable regular hexagonal network
of domain walls.Comment: Revtex, 16 pages, 6 ps figures; Shorter version to be published in
Phys. Rev.
Near-Zero Moment Ferromagnetism in the Semiconductor SmN
The magnetic behaviour of SmN has been investigated in stoichiometric
polycrystalline films. All samples show ferromagnetic order with Curie
temperature (T_c) of 27 +/- 3 K, evidenced by the occurrence of hysteresis
below T_c. The ferromagnetic state is characterised by a very small moment and
a large coercive field, exceeding even the maximum applied field of 6 T below
about 15 K. The residual magnetisation at 2 K, measured after cooling in the
maximum field, is 0.035 mu_B per Sm. Such a remarkably small moment results
from a near cancellation of the spin and orbital contributions for Sm3+ in SmN.
Coupling to an applied field is therefore weak, explaining the huge coercive
field . The susceptibility in the paramagnetic phase shows
temperature-independent Van Vleck and Curie-Weiss contributions. The Van Vleck
contribution is in quantitative agreement with the field-induced admixture of
the J=7/2 excited state and the 5/2 ground state. The Curie-Weiss contribution
returns a Curie temperature that agrees with the onset of ferromagnetic
hysteresis, and a conventional paramagnetic moment with an effective moment of
0.4 mu_B per Sm ion, in agreement with expectations for the crystal-field
modified effective moment on the Sm3+ ions.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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